Rest Stop
by Lisden
Summary: Based on the MAtchbox Twenty song, Vaughn chooses Sydney


Based on "Rest Stop" by Matchbox 20.  
  
Not for Lauren fans.  
  
Me + owning any of these characters = nope  
  
I also did not write the song  
  
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Vaughn drove the car silently. He glanced towards the seat beside him, Lauren dozing off, before turning his eyes back to the road.  
  
Where were they going?  
  
It was a double sided question.  
  
Literally, Vaughn knew they were driving away; they hadn't decided where yet, just "away". Taking a short leave from each of their jobs, everyone had decided that the best idea was for them to get away for a while.   
  
The reason was unspoken; to try and save their marriage. Everyone knew it had to be worked on, but no one would admit it, least of all Lauren and Vaughn. But they both knew it. The only problem was that there was a little thought nagging at the back of Vaughn's brain.   
  
"Do I want to save this marriage?" Without realizing it, Vaughn had said it out loud, and his eyes nervously darted to his sleeping passenger to see if she had heard.   
  
This brought Vaughn to the second meaning of his question. Where were they going? Where was this marriage going? From Vaughn's skeptical and panicked mind at the moment, he was worried it was going nowhere. Either nowhere, or toward a life of married "bliss"; banter and old age.   
  
Lauren wanted kids. Vaughn couldn't wait to start a family.  
  
Lauren hated hockey; she liked "Trading Spaces". Vaughn got mad when she changed the channel while he was watching the game.  
  
Lauren slept with the window closed. Vaughn wanted air.   
  
The list went on.  
  
All these, small problems. Problems that could probably be overcome. Except one.  
  
Lauren was Lauren. Vaughn wanted Sydney.  
  
While he thought it, he realized it.   
  
He fully, completely and revolutionarily realized it.  
  
He loved Sydney. Of course he still loved Sydney, he had known that. But what he hadn't known was that he did not love Lauren. He could never love anybody like he loved Sydney.   
  
He glanced again over at Lauren, eyes closed, head back against the seat. She was deep in a dream. Vaughn contemplated what she was dreaming about for a few seconds.  
  
But he didn't care. When he thought this, he shook his head.  
  
"I don't care." He said out loud. He tried it a little louder, with a smile. "I don't care." Without another second of thought, he hit the breaks and swerved over to the side. He barely knew what he was doing, but he didn't have time to think about it.  
  
Lauren woke with a start at the change in velocity, and sat up, bleary eyed. She glanced all around, taking in her surroundings.   
  
"Honey?" she asked, in that cold, condescending British tone, "Why are we stopping here. There is a rest stop in another few miles." Why hadn't Vaughn noticed how cold and condescending that voice was before?  
  
"Listen, Lauren…" he started, almost giddy from the excitement and fear of what he was about to do, "You are an amazing person. I know that. You're sweet and responsible and passionate about what you do." Lauren took this all in and smiled, and she waited for another "and". What she got, however, instead of another "and" was a "but".  
  
"But…" Vaughn took a deep breath, "But I am not in love with you."  
  
Lauren scoffed, smiled, waited for Vaughn to say he was joking and to tell her the real reason they pulled over. It didn't happen.  
  
"Vaughn…what?" she asked incredulously, laughing it off. Vaughn tried to stay calm. A bit of pity and regret seeped into his voice.   
  
"I tried to be, but I'm not. So could you please collect your things." He asked, staring straight ahead, out the window.   
  
"You've got to be kidding me! Sweetie, this is not a funny joke." Lauren said sternly. Vaughn shook his head.  
  
"I'm not joking. I need you to get out of this car. Please." Lauren stared at him.  
  
"You're not serious." She stated, looking at him. He turned his head, and looked her deep in the eyes.  
  
"I'm sorry. Please, I don't know if this is what I should do or not, but what I know is that it feels right at the moment, and I have to go with it. I have to do this. It's in my heart and soul. You're not." Lauren opened her mouth to say something. She shut it again. She stared out her passenger window silently.   
  
After a few moments, she turned to Vaughn again.   
  
"Can…can we talk about this?" She asked a hint of politeness and panic creeping into her tone. Vaughn shook his head, but cast his eyes to the floor.  
  
"Vaughn, I…it's freezing out. It's miles to the next stop, with nothing but highway between. Where will I go?" she asked, disbelievingly. Vaughn looked at her once more.  
  
"Look, I don't wanna be cold; I don't wanna be cruel, but I've gotta find more than what's happening with you." He said softly. Lauren nodded slowly, a tear in the corner of her eye.  
  
"Vaughn…I don't understand. But… I love you." She whispered. Her voice started to waver. She brought her eyes up to his, strong eyes. "Just…Just tell me what brought this on."  
  
Vaughn took a deep breath, and took her hand.  
  
"While you were sleeping, I was listening to the radio and wondering what you were dreaming when it came to mind that I didn't care. And I though, hell, if it's over, I had better end it quick or I could lose my nerve." Halfway through this speech, Lauren had started to cry.  
  
"Are you listening? Can you hear me?" Vaughn asked wildly, his eyes flashing at her, forcing her to turn to him.  
  
With a tear streaked face and shaking bottom lip she replied.  
  
"Sydney Bristow."  
  
Vaughn nodded gently, and gripped the steering wheel tightly. Lauren glanced at him for a long moment, before sighing, leaning over and kissing him on the cheek.  
  
"I love you. But I hate you. You and Sydney Bristow deserve each other." She spat into his ear, before grabbing her bag from the seat beside her and pushing the door open.   
  
She stepped out into the rain and slammed the door of the car so that Vaughn jumped. But then he pulled away from the curb quickly, leaving Lauren staring after him, soaked.  
  
He executed a U turn in the nearest possible spot, and raced back toward his the city. He would get his things and move out of his home with Lauren before she got there.   
  
There are the practical thoughts that crossed his mind.  
  
But one thing enveloped him; consumed him: I have to find Sydney.   
  
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It was three in the morning. Sydney wasn't used to being woken by pounding on her door this early; but in her line of work, there was a first time for anything. Her first instinct was to grab her gun to protect herself, but she forgot about that when she heard Vaughn's voice float through the door.  
  
"Syd! SYDNEY!..." he was yelling.   
  
Sydney's next instinct was panic, and she raced to open the door, thinking that Vaughn was in trouble.   
  
She unlocked the lock, and threw open the door.  
  
"God, Vaughn, what is it? Did something happen to…" her words her cut off very effectively by Vaughn's lips.  
  
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When she opened the door, Vaughn couldn't think of anything. He couldn't process what she was saying; he couldn't process what he was doing. The only thing he could think of was kissing her. So he did.  
  
He crushed his lips passionately to her beautiful mouth, mid sentence. Sydney, confused at first, responded exactly how Vaughn had hoped she would, and kissed him back with all her strength.  
  
All the energy and passion they had been saving up was thrown into it. But Sydney eventually regained her senses and pressed him gently but firmly away.  
  
"Vaughn, what is going on?" She asked softly, "I can't. . . It's three o clock. I. . . . Lauren." Vaughn brought a finger to her lips to silence her.  
  
"Sydney…I love you. I love you more than anything; more than a perfect life. More than myself." Sydney's eyes began to well with tears.  
  
"Vaughn, "She laughed, wiping one away, "You shouldn't try to be a poet. It was never your strong suit." Vaughn smile, that crooked, sweet smile of his.  
  
"I'm sorry. I just. . . I don't love Lauren. I tried to pretend I did, because it was easy. When I though you had died, I couldn't be alone. And Lauren was a better choice than alone. She was a better choice than everyone else in this world. Syd, if you did not exist, Lauren would be the perfect choice for me. But since you are in this world, Sydney Bristow, there is not and will never be anyone else." Sydney's smile shone through her tears. Vaughn laughed nervously.  
  
"Now would be a good time to say something, Syd." He said quietly, taking her hand in his. He wiped the tears from her face, gently, caressingly.   
  
"I. . ." Sydney whispered, "Vaughn, you know how I feel." She smiled weakly, half crying half laughing.   
  
"I love you. I love you. I love you." She insisted, time and time again until she could say it no more, because Vaughn had once again pressed his lips to hers, and they were kissing, for all they were worth.  
  
There were no worries. Sydney and Vaughn both ignore all the pesky thoughts that were passing through their minds.  
  
What about Lauren?  
  
What about their jobs?  
  
What about Jack, what about Will, what about the Covenant?   
  
How was he going to get out of his marriage?  
  
How could Sydney live knowing that she took something so precious away from someone?  
  
A million worries, a million questions, a million thoughts.  
  
But they were all lost, all neglected and forgotten. Because all Sydney and Vaughn wanted was each other. And for this night, that was all they were going to have.  
  
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We're just 3 miles, from the rest stop  
  
And she slams on the breaks  
  
She said I tried to be but I'm not  
  
And could you please collect your things  
  
Well I don't wanna be cold  
  
I don't wanna be cruel  
  
But I've gotta find more than what's happened with you  
  
So if you'd open up my door  
  
She said while you were sleepin'  
  
I was listenin' to the radio and wonderin' what you were dreamin' when  
  
It came to mind that I didn't care  
  
So I thought hell if it's over  
  
Then I had better end it quick or I could lose my nerve  
  
Are you listenin'? Can you hear me?  
  
Have you forgotten?  
  
Just 3 miles from the rest stop  
  
And my mouth's too dry to rage  
  
A light was shining from the radio  
  
And I could barely see her face  
  
But she knew all the words that I never had said  
  
She knew the crumbled up promise of a broken down man  
  
As I opened up my door  
  
But I've forgotten, yeah  
  
Have you forgotten?  
  
You just don't love to love like I love  
  
While you were sleepin'  
  
I was listenin' to the radio and wonderin' what you were dreamin' when  
  
It came to mind that I didn't care  
  
I thought hell if it's over  
  
I had better end it quick or I could lose all my nerve  
  
Are you listenin'? Can you hear me?  
  
Can you hear me?  
  
~ "Rest Stop" Matchbox 20  
  
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A/N: Ok, so there you have it. A little weird, a little ooc, I know, but I was listening to the song, and thought about how much I really wished Vaughn would do that to Lauren. So I wrote it. It's so sappy, I know.  
  
Feedback is wanted; good, and bad. I've never really written a fic like this before, so I'd like to know what I did wrong, or right. 


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